Lightweight grip sleeve structure

ABSTRACT

A lightweight grip sleeve structure includes a foam tube that is long in shape and has a socket portion extending from a surface of one end of the tube along a major axis of the foam tube, wherein the foam tube has a density of 0.3˜0.7 g/cm 3 ; and a rubber layer, covering an outer periphery of the foam tube for a user to grip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to grip sleeves for golf clubs or baseball bats, and more particularly to a lightweight grip sleeve structure.

2. Description of Related Art

The existing grip sleeve, such as a golf club sleeves, is primarily composed of an elastic sleeve that is a long tubular body and defines therein a channel opened at one end of the tubular body, and a jacket covering the tubular body for a user to grip. The jacket is typically formed from a polyurethane (PU) layer and a felt layer (or a non-woven cloth layer). While such a conventional structure has been extensively used for golf club, it has potential defects.

Particularly, the elastic sleeve is usually made by extruding or molding rubber into the tubular shape, trimming and coloring the elastic sleeve, and then covering the elastic sleeve with the jacket. This structure is quite heavy in weight, making a golf club sleeve heavier than 50 g. In addition, polyurethane in nature does not perform well in terms of slip prevention, so that grip sleeve usually requires addition of anti-slip patterns to provide adequate friction to a user's palm. Moreover, the PU part of the sleeve after contacting the air can sooner or later have hydrolysis. Once the PU part is hydrolyzed, the grip sleeve become unusable and has to be replaced. Furthermore, it is difficult to make sophisticated printing on the PU surface. While some manufacturers use rubber instead of polyurethane when producing jackets for grip sleeves, the rubber-made jacket adds more weight to the elastic sleeve that is usually made of rubber and is heavy itself, causing the whole sleeve to be overweight. Thus, the known approach is far from ideal.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the defects seen in the prior art, one objective of the present invention is to provide a grip sleeve structure that is non-slip and durable.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a grip sleeve structure grip sleeve structure that is lightweight.

For achieving the foregoing objectives, the disclosed lightweight grip sleeve structure comprises a foam tube that is long in shape and has a socket portion extending from a surface of one end of the tube along a major axis of the foam tube, wherein the foam tube has a density of 0.3˜0.7 g/cm³; and a rubber layer, covering an outer periphery of the foam tube for a user to grip. Therein, the foam tube may be made of a foam material. The combination of the lightweight tube and the thin layer of rubber not only improves the comfort of gripping the grip sleeve but also keeps the grip sleeve light in weight.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following preferred embodiments when read with the accompanying drawings are made to clearly exhibit the above-mentioned and other technical contents, features and effects of the present invention. Through the exposition by means of the specific embodiments, people would further understand the technical means and effects the present invention adopts to achieve the above-indicated objectives. However, the accompanying drawings are intended for reference and illustration, but not to limit the present invention and are not made to scale. Unless otherwise noted, like elements will be identified by identical numbers throughout all figures.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in a first embodiment of the present invention, a lightweight grip sleeve structure comprises a foam tube (10) and a rubber layer (20) as detailed below.

The foam tube (10) is long in shape and has a front end (11) and a rear end (12). The front end (11) has an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the rear end (12). The tube (10) is formed therein with a socket portion (13) extending from a surface of the front end along a major axis of the tube for fittingly receiving an external golf club or baseball bat, so that the foam tube (10) can be mounted around the golf club or baseball bat for a user to grip. The socket portion (13) has a length that is greater than a half of a length of the foam tube (10). The foam tube (10) may be made of a foamable material, such as PE (polyesthylene), TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). The foam tube (10) has a density of about 0.3˜0.7 g/cm³. The foam tube (10) has a rear end integratedly formed with an end portion (14). The end portion (14) has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the rear end of the foam tube (10), so that a shoulder (15) is defined by the difference between the end portion (14) and the rear end (12) of the foam tube.

The rubber layer (20) covers an outer periphery of the foam tube (10) for a user to grip. The rubber layer (20) is formed by wrapping a rubber sheet outside the foam tube. The rubber layer (20), when wrapping the foam tube (10), has one edge thereof abut against the shoulder (15), and has an outer diameter defined by its outer periphery smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of the end portion (14). The rubber layer (20) may have its outer periphery printed with patterns.

According to the present invention, the combination of the lightweight foam tube (10) and the thin rubber layer (20) not only improves the comfort of gripping the grip sleeve but also keeps the grip sleeve light in weight. Where the disclosed grip sleeve structure is used as a golf club grip sleeve, as compared to a prior-art grip sleeve that is 50 g, it can reduce more than 10 g, achieving a 20% reduction. Moreover, printing on the surface of the rubber layer can be performed vertically and can achieve requirements for more colors and more sophisticated patterns.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the rubber layer (20) may be first formed into a rubber tube and then mounted around the foam tube (10), as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A lightweight grip sleeve structure, comprising: a foam tube (10), being long in shape and having a socket portion (13) extending from a surface of one end of the foam tube (10) along a major axis of the foam tube (10), wherein the foam tube (10) has a density of 0.3˜0.7 g/cm³; a rubber layer (20), covering an outer periphery of the foam tube (10) for a user to grip.
 2. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 1, wherein the rubber layer (20) is formed by mounting a rubber tube around the foam tube (10).
 3. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 2, wherein the foam tube (10) has a front end (11) and a rear end (12), and the front end (11) has an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the rear end (12).
 4. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 3, wherein the foam tube (10) has the socket portion (13) extending from a surface of the front end (11) along the major axis of the foam tube (10).
 5. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 1, wherein the rubber layer (20) is formed by wrapping a rubber sheet over the outer periphery of the foam tube (10).
 6. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 5, wherein the foam tube (10) has a front end (11) and a rear end (12), and the front end (11) has an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the rear end (12).
 7. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 6, wherein the foam tube (10) has the socket portion (13) extending from a surface of the front end (11) along the major axis of the foam tube (10).
 8. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 1, wherein the foam tube (10) has a rear end (12) integratedly formed with an end portion (14), and the end portion (14) has an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the rear end of the foam tube (10), so that a shoulder (15) is defined by a difference between the end portion (14) and the rear end (12).
 9. The lightweight grip sleeve structure of claim 1, wherein the foam tube (10) is made of a foamable material selected form PE (polyesthylene), TPE (Thermoplastic elastomer), and EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). 